‘He’s got to get involved more’; Slumping Nylander demoted to Leafs’ third line 

The Maple Leafs held a practice at Ford Performance Centre on Wednesday.

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Leafs winger William Nylander has gone four straight games without a point, and Craig Berube has seen enough. The coach demoted the team’s leading scorer to the third line at Wednesday’s practice with Nylander skating alongside Nicolas Roy and Dakota Joshua.

“If I had to look at one thing, I would say he’s got to get involved more, engage more in the game, work his way through it,” Berube said.

Berube met with Nylander, who usually plays on the second line beside John Tavares, on Wednesday to convey that message.

“Work your way through it,” the coach stressed. “All players go through it at some point, but I think if he just works his way through it, he’ll get out of it quicker.”

Prior to this dry spell, Nylander had only been held without a point in two of 21 games.

The last time Nylander went four regular-season games without hitting the scoresheet was early January, so it’s been almost a calendar year since a slump like this.

Nylander has also been held without a shot twice in this four-game run, including on Monday. The smooth-skating Swede, who failed to convert on a shootout attempt during Saturday’s loss to the Montreal Canadiens, seems to be missing his usual swagger.

“I feel like there are chances where I should maybe be shooting the puck, you know, passing it, whatever,” Nylander said. “So, I need to [have] a little bit more hunger to attack the net and get the puck there. I think that’s probably one of the aspects that’s missing.”

Nylander, who has racked up 32 points in 25 games, understands why Berube feels a line change is in order.

“I think it’s good,” he said. “I think we needed to try something new. I mean, I think our line has not [had] so many good looks the past few games.”

The spot beside Roy and Joshua opened up because the usual third-line winger, Bobby McMann, is suspended for one game.

“They’ve been playing great,” Nylander said of Roy and Joshua. “And, you know, Bobby’s gone for a game, so let’s give it a try.”

“The Tavares, Nylander, [Easton] Cowan line has kind of fallen off for me a bit, dried up a little bit, so I made a switch there just to give him a different look,” Berube said.

Nylander hasn’t gone more than four games without a point since February 2021, when he experienced a six-game lull during the Canadian Division year.

Nick Robertson, who was a healthy scratch on Monday, took Nylander’s spot beside Tavares and Cowan at practice. Berube feels Robertson has lacked his usual tenacity of late.

“Getting in on a forecheck, disrupting things, being physical, using his speed, all those types of things I felt dropped off,” the coach said. “I think if he just brings that, good things will happen for him.”

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McMann was suspended one game for high-sticking Tampa Bay Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand on Monday. The Leafs winger initially raised his stick to avoid contact with a linesman before being shoved by Bjorkstrand and bringing his stick down on the head of the Lightning forward.

“It wasn’t much,” Berube said. “I know you’ve got to be in control of your stick, but I don’t think it’s worth the suspension.”

The Department of Player Safety released a video on Tuesday breaking down their view of the play.

“McMann brings the raised stick downwards towards Bjorkstrand from a dangerous height, striking him in the head with sufficient force to merit supplemental discipline. This is high sticking. It is important to note that this is not the typical motion of a player merely bringing a raised stick down to the ice and accidentally making contact with an opponent. This is also not a situation where a player simply loses control of his stick or where an off-balance player is careless in an attempt to steady himself. McMann is in full control of both his stick and his own body at all times during this play, and simply must display more control to ensure his stick does not directly strike his opponent’s head in his situation.”

The McMann high stick occurred after Leafs defenceman Dakota Mermis was injured via a knee-on-knee hit by Gage Goncalves, who was ejected from the game. but did not receive supplemental discipline.

“We lose a guy for probably a month at least,” Berube said. “There’s nothing that I’ve heard [from the Department of Player Safety].”

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The Leafs placed Mermis on injured reserve on Wednesday and called up Henry Thrun from the American Hockey League. Thrun skated on the third pair beside Simon Benoit at practice and is projected to make his Leafs debut against his old team, the San Jose Sharks, on Thursday.

“He’s a good puck mover and has offensive abilities,” Berube said. “The one good thing, he’s been playing the right side [as a lefty] down there so if he does play tomorrow, he’ll be on the right side.”

Thrun, who was acquired from the Sharks in exchange for Ryan Reaves in the summer, has produced nine points in 19 games with the Toronto Marlies.

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Right-shot defenceman Chris Tanev participated in his first practice with the team since being stretchered off the ice with an upper-body injury on Nov. 1 in Philadelphia.

“He’s an ultimate professional, you know, taking care of his body and putting in the work to get better and be at the point where he is today,” Nylander said. “So, you know, just hope everything comes back good.”

Tanev also joined teammates for a pre-game skate at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday and Monday as the organization awaits clarity on his status moving forward.

“He’s getting evaluated today, so I’ll know more after today,” Berube said.

Tanev has worn a red no-contact sweater during all his skates with teammates.

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Joseph Woll hit the ice before practice for a 20-minute session with goalie coach Curtis Sanford.

“He felt good today, talking to him after he came off,” Berube said.

The coach suggested that Woll, who sustained a lower-body injury last Thursday during a game in Raleigh, may be ready to return as early as Saturday when the Leafs host Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.

Defenceman Morgan Rielly missed practice due to an illness, but is expected to play on Thursday, per Berube.

There are

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Considering the way Dennis Hildeby is playing, there’s no need to rush Woll right now. The rookie goalie posted the first shutout of his career on Monday while pushing his season save percentage to .936 in nine games (five starts).

Hildeby will gift the game puck from the clean sheet against the Lightning to his father when the family visits during Christmas. Hildeby’s dad collects all his milestone pucks (first wins and first shutouts). There are six overall, with two from the Swedish Hockey League, two from the AHL, and now two from the NHL.

What was it like catching up with his parents on Tuesday via FaceTime?

“A lot of smiles,” a beaming Hildeby said.

The pressure of suddenly being the go-to goalie in the centre of the hockey universe doesn’t seem to bother the 24-year-old Swede.

“You just got to try and enjoy it,” Hildeby said. “Be honest with yourself. It’s obviously a little more or a little different than playing in the AHL, but it’s my childhood dream here and you just got to enjoy every moment. It’s a privilege being here.”

What’s the biggest difference in the NHL?

“It’s a hard question,” said Hildeby, who posted an .878 save percentage in his first six NHL games last season. “I mean, it’s a little quicker. Everything you do, you got to be a little more crisp and fast.”

The 6-foot-7 Hildeby, who is nicknamed “Beast,” moves well for his size. What do teammates see when they shoot on him in practice?

“Not much,” said Nylander with a grin. “He’s huge in there.”

“He covers up a lot of space in the net,” said centre Auston Matthews. “And I find he’s got really good reads as well too. He reacts quickly and tries to keep everything in front of him. He’s really solid.”

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The second line is struggling right now, but Toronto’s top line seems to be picking up some momentum. Matthews matched a season high by landing eight shots on net in Monday’s win. The Leafs captain scored an empty-net goal at the buzzer, but also left the game wanting more.

“I just got to put the puck in the net,” Matthews said. “Getting all the opportunities, I just got to bear down and find the openings. But I’m really happy with where our game’s been trending, especially since that long road trip.”

The Leafs are 5-1-1 since Matthews returned from a lower-body injury on Nov. 26.

“We want that positive momentum to keep flowing and make sure that we’re continuing to take care of that defensive zone, that structure, because I think that’s kind of what’s leading to us having the puck a little bit more,” Matthews said.

Toronto’s top line will likely see a lot of Sharks sophomore sensation Macklin Celebrini on Thursday night. Celebrini is third in the NHL scoring race with 43 points.

“It’s not just all flash and all skill,” Matthews observed. “He’s a guy that definitely competes out there, and I think that’s kind of what you notice when watching him play. And as you continue to play, the confidence builds and he’s obviously been on a tear. He’s a fun player to watch. I think he’s going to be a great player in this league for a long time.”

The Sharks have a minus-16 goal differential, but Celebrini is a team-best plus-seven. Matthews appreciates the teenager’s all-around game.

“He’s obviously got all the tools and he’s skilled, but I think his work ethic [stands out],” Matthews said. “The way he competes off the puck, he battles hard.”

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With the schedule condensed this season due to the Olympics, practice time is at a premium. Wednesday’s session was the first one for the Leafs since last Wednesday, when they held a 15-minute skate in Florida.

Wednesday’s practice came after a day off, which allowed the coaching staff to cram in a little extra work.

“We were out there a little longer than normal,” Berube said following the 45-minute session.

What was the focus?

“Power play for sure,” Berube noted. “But just keep working on our defensive side of things, our D-zone, and coming out of our zone with the puck and making some more plays and getting up the ice.”

There was even a quick conditioning skate at the conclusion of all the drills.

“Give them a little bump at the end,” Berube said. “Power play, we kind of ran a little longer than normal, and there’s a lot of standing around, so I wanted to give a little push at the end.”

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There’s no doubt the power play needs work right now. Toronto failed to convert on two chances on Monday and is now a league-worst 2/27 in 12 games since Nov. 13.

“We’ve got to have a more simple approach to it all,” Berube said. “Good touch, good touch, shot. Good touch, good touch, shot. We’re trying to look for the perfect play too much and it’s not there so we’ve got to work our way through that. It’s just execution. Make the play that’s available, make it quickly, and if we can get pucks to the net, then get them to the net. Like, I know at times, and I’ve been through over the years, you talk about the power play and sometimes you overshoot it. I get that. We’re undershooting it.”

The Leafs have fallen all the way to 31st overall on the season with a 13.7 per cent conversion rate.

The team has experimented with different looks during this stretch, including a five-forward alignment with Matthews as the quarterback. Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson have taken turns at the top in recent games.

Right now, the issue seems to be between the ears rather than personnel.

“We haven’t really been even, I feel like, getting the puck to the net,” said Nylander. “And if we get the puck to the net and we get it back then we, you know, have kind of lost the puck and it’s gone out of the zone or whatever. We haven’t really had any sustained pressure in a while. So, confidence is a little bit lacking in the power play.”

All the reps on Wednesday started with a 5-on-0 look before penalty killers were added. Matthews stressed the need for predictability.

What is Nylander looking for from the power play moving forward?

“Score a goal, maybe,” he said with a smile. “That’s all.”

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Lines at Wednesday’s practice:

Knies - Matthews - Domi

Cowan - Tavares - Robertson

Joshua - Roy - Nylander

Lorentz - Laughton - Jarnkrok

McMann, Maccelli

McCabe - Stecher

Ekman-Larsson - Myers*

Benoit - Thrun

Rifai - Tanev

Hildeby

Akhtyamov

Power play units at Wednesday’s practice:

QB: Thrun*

Flanks: Matthews, Nylander

Middle: Tavares

Net front: Knies

QB: Ekman-Larsson

Flanks: Cowan, Domi

Middle: Robertson

Net front: Roy

*Rielly absent